Illinois Required Identification Documents
What you need to bring to the DMV office to prove identity, residency, and Social Security number.
- Acceptable identity documents
-
For a REAL ID-compliant license, Illinois accepts identity documents such as a U.S. birth certificate, U.S. passport or passport card, employment authorization document (USCIS Form I-766), permanent resident card (Form I-551), foreign passport with an approved I-94 form, Naturalization Certificate (N-550/N-570), Citizenship Certificate (N-560/N-561), or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad. The full Group B list also includes an Illinois driver's license or ID card (current or expired less than one year), a U.S. military driver's license or ID, a Social Security Award Letter for the primary beneficiary, and adoption records. If the identity document carries a name different from your current legal name, bring certified linking documentation: a certified marriage certificate issued by the County Clerk (a church certificate is not accepted), a court-certified name change order, divorce decree, or adoption papers. Photocopies are not accepted. For the complete Acceptable Identification Documents chart, see p. 106 of the manual.
- Acceptable residency documents
-
REAL ID applicants must present two current residency documents bearing the applicant's name and Illinois address; a standard license requires one. Accepted examples (Group D, p. 106) include a utility bill issued within 90 days (electric, water, refuse, telephone, land/cell, cable, or gas), a deed, title, mortgage, or rental/lease agreement, a bank or insurance statement dated within 90 days, a recent pay stub or electronic deposit receipt, a pension or retirement statement, a homeowner's or renter's insurance policy, official mail from a State, County, City, Village, or Federal government agency (such as a Jury Duty notice, Selective Service card, Social Security annual statement, or Voter Registration Card), a credit report from Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion dated within 12 months, an official school transcript or letter on school letterhead dated within 90 days, or a medical claim or statement of benefits dated within 90 days. Photocopies are not accepted.
Source: Illinois Rules of the Road 2026, Chapter 1: Document/ID Requirements, pp. 6-7; Acceptable Identification Documents chart, Group D, pp. 105-106 Verified Sep 2026
- SSN proof requirements
-
To prove your full Social Security number, the Secretary of State accepts a Social Security card issued by the SSA, an SSA-1099 or non-SSA-1099 form, a W-2, a Social Security Award Letter (primary beneficiary only), or a pay stub or printed electronic deposit receipt showing your name and full SSN. A U.S. Military driver's license or ID card and a U.S. Military service record (such as a DD214) also satisfy Group C. Every Group C document must show your name and your full Social Security number. A verified Illinois driver's license or ID card record also counts, but only if your Social Security number was previously verified with the SSA. An applicant for a Visa or Non-Visa driver's license or ID card does not present a Group C document at all; instead they sign a declaration on the application that they are ineligible to obtain a Social Security number.
- Vision test required at issuance
-
yes
Source: Illinois Rules of the Road 2026, Chapter 2: Vision Screening, p. 13 Verified Sep 2026
Every Illinois number, ready to print.
Required Identification Documents plus every other Illinois rule we track, bound into a glove-box-sized PDF.
Get the free PDF